Chapter Text
Edith had been sitting on the stool by her bed having her hair detangled by a not-so-gentle nurse, when Professors Weasley and Sharp marched.
Thank Helga Hufflepuff; this torment can end, thought Edith, eager for anything else to be happening. This was worse than sponge bed baths and wound cleaning.
It was the first time she had ever seen Professor Sharp look sheepish but the spots of anger on Professor Weasley cheeks everyone had seen before; though they were usually reserved for her nephew, Garreth Weasley.
“What's wrong, Professors?” She asked nervously. Had she done something wrong?
“Professor Black is a pompous fool, incapable of distinguishing ceremony from genuine responsibility.” Professor Weasley snarled causing Edith to flinch.
“Matilda.” Professor Sharp growled in warning. He’d obviously seen her flinch. He was always the first to notice when something upset her, even if she tried to hide it.
“I'm sorry dear. Don't mind me.” Professor Weasley looked regretful and embarrassed. She glanced behind Edith, obviously catching the nurse's gaze. “I'll finish that, we need a word in private.”
“So I haven't done anything wrong?” She asked as Professor Weasley settled in behind her with the brush. She was much gentler than the nurse had been but it still felt disgusting… like oil slipping between her toes. She tried her best not to react to it, her shivers always made Professors Weasley and Garlick sad.
“No, of course not.” Professor Weasley replied quickly. “We just have something to tell-”
“The ministry has decided to send your parents and their co-conspirator to Azkaban.” Professor Sharp cut in bluntly.
“Aesop! How dare you phrase it in such a way to a child!” Professor Weasley admonished sharply. Her brush pulled at a knot in Edith’s hair.
The shock of the statement meant Edith barely felt the pull and for once didn’t flinch. “But isn't that a wizard prison?” It was bad wasn't it? Worse than where they'd wanted to send her. She expected it to make her feel something, sad maybe… they were her parents, but all she felt was relief. She’d never have to see them again, they couldn’t hurt her anymore.
“Yes, though they won't be able to appreciate the full horror of the place.” Professor Sharp continued ignoring Professor Weasley. His voice was so cold it made her freeze. Something in his eyes was not… nice. He looked every inch the head of Slytherin and it was frightening. “It was felt that a muggle prison would be insufficient given their crimes.”
“So what is going to happen to me? Where will I go?” Her voice was small as she pushed down her fear. Professor Sharp couldn’t be scary… he had saved her. Her parents were the ones who should be afraid, not her. The question had been burning at her for weeks and now she had a chance to ask. She had been half afraid she would be sent back to them; half afraid she'd go to an orphanage.
Professor Sharp sighed heavily, the icy coldness leaving him, he looked like her Professor again as he rubbed the long scar on his face. Behind her Professor Weasley muttered a curse she couldn't quite hear. So it was bad.
Edith felt tears well up; maybe it would have been better to not be saved. Even her magic didn't work right anymore… it leaked. She was so broken that special healers came to see her every day. Who would want her?
“Shh, don't cry. It's been decided that the safest option for you is for Professor Sharp to be your guardian.” Professor Weasley hurried to explain her hand lightly touching Edith on the shoulder. She couldn't quite mask the disapproval in her voice.
“Professor Sharp?” Edith asked, startled. He wasn't even married…
“Yes.” Professor Sharp looked like it was the worst idea he'd ever heard, his eyes pinched at the corners. “We were unable to convince Professor Black that a lady, like Professor Weasley, would be more appropriate.”
“That's because he's a stubborn unthinking fool,” growled Professor Weasley. “So I have decided that Professor Sharp will share your guardianship with me. Unofficially.” There was no room for argument with her tone… not that she had been going to.
Edith felt like someone had stunned her. Her hands fidgeted with her robes, was it really this simple. A moment ago it had felt like no one wanted her and now she had two people who were willing to care for her. Professor Sharp might not like the idea but he was agreeing to it. Professor Weasley would do it because she was kind, because Edith needed it. Professor Sharp was different; if he really didn’t want to, not even Professor Black could make him.
“You’re really going to take me in?” She whispered, peering up at him. He had saved her once and now he was doing it again. But what if she was too broken? Professor Weasley would keep her, she knew that but it would hurt if the man who saved her regretted it… if she disappointed him.
“Yes, and I expect you to keep your grades up when you return to school.” Professor Sharp confirmed; there was the wisp of a half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth… Was he trying to make a joke? Was that something he did, she couldn’t remember.
“Aesop!” Professor Weasley reprimanded him. Edith thought she didn't mind if he was serious or joking. She could do that… make him not regret taking her in. At least, she hoped she could.
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Ominis couldn’t put his finger on it but something within the walls had changed. Well… everything had already changed, but this time it had shifted towards him.
He was sitting in the Undercroft with Sebastian and Anne, trying desperately to focus on his homework. It was hard; his mind was full of questions, and he’d been unable to find any more answers. The ghosts were now silent and there had been no more news articles beyond the first one from weeks ago… the one he kept tucked in his bag.
Was it a good sign or a bad one?
“What's wrong, Ominis?” Sebastian asked, finally looking up from his game of Chess with Anne. He must be winning. “You're not still worried about that Hufflepuff, are you?”
“There's no news Sebastian.” He gritted. This was a sore spot between them now. It was like the more he cared, the less they didn't.
“No news is good news, as they say,” Sebastian pointed out. It was his go to phrase, delivered in that tone that made Ominis's blood boil… the one that said he was being unreasonable.
“Seb is right,’ Anne added, trying to be the voice of reason. “If something had really happened to her, it would be in the papers.”
It had been in papers, the third page if he wanted to be exact… over two weeks ago… but there was no point in starting that fight again. Ominis took a slow steadying breath.
Maybe he should tell them about what he'd overheard.
It wasn't that he didn't want to. He did. The weight of the secret kept him awake at night; his only comfort was that Poppy also shared it… just as silently. Ominis just didn't think it would change anything. They would say that ghost gossip wasn't reliable or worse… they wouldn't care at all. And Sebastian had begun to develop a habit of not keeping secrets he didn’t consider important... or perhaps Ominis was only just noticing.
Last year it felt like he had Sebastian's confidence… his trust. That Ominis had known things he shouldn't because Sebastian trusted him. Now he had someone else's secrets, it felt wrong somehow.
“Or it could be the Ministry hiding it. They do that in case you both have forgotten,” Ominis pointed out before changing the topic. “And while I am concerned about Edith that wasn’t what I was thinking about.” He hoped Sebastian noticed the hint that he should be too, everyone should, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath.
“So then what’s the problem?” Ominis had to force himself not to roll his eyes; hopefully Sebastian never became the Slytherin Seeker. They would be doomed.
“The teachers. It’s like they treat me differently.” The whole thing confused him and he didn’t know how to put it into words.
He could feel Sebastian look at him like he’d lost his mind.
“How do you mean? I haven’t noticed anything.” Anne asked, sounding genuinely confused. That was strange; he had hoped Anne at least might have noticed.
“I got ten points from Professor Garlick for handing a book to her, Anne.” He voiced, like it was obvious. “That woman is always so off with the fairies she’s never thought not to seat me next to the Tentacula I cannot see.”
“Yeah, now that you mention it, that was weird.” Sebastian replied.
“But she’s always been rather odd.” Anne added gently, finishing his thought. They didn’t understand.
“Professor Hecat actually told me to step back because she was moving the desks for combat lessons.” Ominis reminded them trying to make them see the pattern he did.
“She was just being considerate.”
The thought of Professor Hecat being considerate nearly made him laugh. This was the woman who moved desks into him and left him scrambling to get out of the way. Maybe they had never noticed because Defence Against the Dark Arts had been with Hufflepuff last year. Edith had always been the person who pulled him out of the way.
He could have pointed out Potions too… that Professor Sharp had been nearly kind when Ominis burnt his potion.
It used to just be ‘too much dittany, Mr Gaunt’ ‘The instructions said three splashes and one handful’ like he could accurately tell what a splash was… but what was the point?
It wasn’t their fault; they were busy with their own classwork.
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